The Christmas Pearls by Linda MadlNew Release I’m always sad to see Halloween pass. The warm oranges and reds of October fade into the grayness of November. The leaves fall from the trees, and darkness comes early to the day. Thank heavens those stalwart Pilgrims redeemed the month with Thanksgiving. Beyond lies Christmas. Green and red. Silver and blue. Gold and white. Glittering icicles and fuzzy white snowdrifts. Aromatic pine needles and glowing Christmas candles. For lots of people the yuletide season is the best of the year. That’s the way it was for my dad. That’s why “The Christmas Pearls” is dedicated to him. He was the one who herded us into the car to go get the Christmas tree—not that we were reluctant. It had to be a real one, with needles to litter Mom’s floor. She didn’t mind. Every year the trees seemed to get bigger. Commotion filled our house those early days of December—carrying the tree inside. Making it fit the tree stand. Climbing the ladder to crown it with a star. Arranging the lights. Draping the boughs with ropes of tinsel and finishing off the branch tips with fluttery foil icicles. And, so went our annual tree decorating ritual. Noisy and chaotic and full of fun and cheer, except when we disagreed over the placement of a beloved ornament. So, you can imagine how disappointed I was to learn during my historical research for “The Christmas Pearls” that Christmas trees weren’t part of the early American holiday tradition in New England. I wanted to put one in the corner of the Freedom Inn parlor. Alas, decorated trees as seasonal decoration would come later in the century along with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. So goes the surprise and challenge of writing historical fiction. However, my research turned up plenty of other warm and romantic traditions to work into Eli, Abigail, and Sara’s story. ”The Christmas Pearls,” a re-release of a tale first published in HOLIDAY INN, is available now at Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. I loved writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season. Linda Madl
